​After writing last week's poem, The Art of Brotherly Love (written about seven weeks ago), I immediately began my next one — that ultimately took three weeks to write — which (lately, at least) is a crazy-long time for me. Nearly two weeks into that period, with a little frustration setting in, I came across this passage from Leviticus in my Bible reading and jumped at the chance for a change.

I had nearly read the entire book Leviticus without writing a single poem because of all of the rules and regulations it contained, then I finally read these rules and regulations. There are 46 verses in Leviticus 26: 13 cover the blessings for obedience, 26 are on the punishments for disobedience, and the last 7 speak of how God will remember those who repent.

Blessings for Obedience

Leviticus 26:1-13

​No carvings of statues nor idols of stone;I am the Lord God to be bowed to alone.Remember my Sabbaths, they can't be ignored;revere where I'm worshiped for I am your Lord.​

If you will obey my decrees and commands,then I will send seasonal rains through your lands.The crops from the ground will produce such a yield,and trees will bear riches of fruit in your field.

Your threshing will last till your grapes have been grown,your grape harvest lasting till grain has been sown.And you will eat all of the bread you can stand,while living both safe and secure in your land.

I'll give the land peace so you'll lie down at nightand sleep without trouble and worry or fright.The dangerous beasts — I'll remove them for you;​your land will not witness the sword passing through.

Your enemies will be exhaustively chased,and they will be felled by the sword and laid waste.Five chasing a hundred, a hundred pursueten thousand — your enemies slain before you.

My favor on you will make you multiply,confirming my compact between you and I.You still will be eating from last harvest's store,which you'll need to clear out to make room for more.

Among you my dwelling place I will erect,and you, in my soul, will I never reject.And I'll walk among you — be your God, divine;and you as a people will ever be mine.

I am the Lord God, who from Egypt has savedand freed you from those who would keep you enslaved.I've broken the bars of the yoke that you woreand freed you to walk with head high evermore.

​Do not make idols or set up carved images, or sacred pillars,or sculptured stones in your land so you may worship them. I am the LORD your God.

You must keep my Sabbath days of rest and show reverence for my sanctuary. I am the LORD.

If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands,

I will send you the seasonal rains. The land will then yield its crops,and the trees of the field will produce their fruit.

Your threshing season will overlap with the grape harvest,and your grape harvest will overlap with the season of planting grain.You will eat your fill and live securely in your own land.

I will give you peace in the land,and you will be able to sleep with no cause for fear.I will rid the land of wild animals and keep your enemies out of your land.

In fact, you will chase down your enemies and slaughter them with your swords.

Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand!All your enemies will fall beneath your sword.

I will look favorably upon you, making you fertile and multiplying your people.And I will fulfill my covenant with you.

You will have such a surplus of crops that you will need to clear out the old grain to make room for the new harvest!

I will live among you, and I will not despise you.

I will walk among you; I will be your God, and you will be my people.

I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egyptso you would no longer be their slaves.I broke the yoke of slavery from your neck so you can walk with your heads held high.

Like the other poems written in this series, The Purpose-Driven Life, the idea for it was derived from the scriptures found in a particular chapter of the book. In this case, it was chapter 23.

This poem has the distinction of being the first poem (of mine) written with either three or four syllables in the first and third lines. All of my stuff either ends on an up-note (ta - TUM), or a down-note (ta - TA - tum). But, this is the first to throw in an extra syllable (ta -TA - ta - tum), taking those lines to 13 syllables.

While I was writing it, the working title for it had been Brotherly Love or something, I don't really remember. Suddenly, the final line happened, quickly and unexpectedly, and that changed everything.

​​Develop a healthy and robust community,one that is centered around God — alone.When treating each other with honor and dignity,you'll reap the harvest you richly have sown.

In peace through the Spirit, together in unity;make every effort to live in this way.​If one of you errors and sins with impunity,​gently pursue them without a delay.

Choose truth over pretense and speak with sincerity;we are Christ's body, connected as one.When we favor lying instead of integrity,we cheat ourselves when its all said and done.

Speak gently to women of years soft and motherly,treat the old men as the father you knew.Engage with young men in a manner that's brotherly,maidens as if they were sisters to you.

Do not look away, hoping problems will disappear,deal with them openly out in the light;assuming the issue's so small to act cavalier,​thinking it surely will turn out alright.

You cannot ignore those whose lives are promiscuous,flippant to God's ways or rude to their friends.Their greed and their drunkenness can't be continuous,with love and firmness it all has to end.

When coming together, be clothed in humility;God shuns the proud — gives the humbled his grace.Turn rumor and gossip around to civility;speak in their absence as you would their face.

We must bear the "burden" of being considerate;empathy's easier shared with one heart.Devotion to family is often deliberate;​practice makes perfect since love is an art.

James 3:18 (Msg)You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.

Ephesians 4:3 (NCV)You are joined together with peace through the Spirit, so make every effort to continue together in this way.

Galatians 6:1-2 (NCV)Brothers and sisters, if someone in your group does something wrong, you who are spiritual should go to that person and gently help make him right again.

Ephesians 4:25 (Msg)No more lies, no more pretense. Tell your neighbor the truth. In Christ’s body we’re all connected to each other, after all. When you lie to others, you end up lying to yourself.

1 Timothy 5:1-2 (GWT)Never use harsh words when you correct an older man, but talk to him as if he were your father. Talk to younger men as if they were your brothers, older women as if they were your mothers, and younger women as if they were your sisters.

1 Corinthians 5:3-12 (Msg)You must not simply look the other way and hope it goes away on its own. Bring it out in the open and deal with it . . . . Better devastation and embarrassment than damnation . . . . You pass it off as a small thing, but it’s anything but that . . . . you shouldn’t act as if everything is just fine when one of your Christian companions is promiscuous or crooked, is flip with God or rude to friends, gets drunk or becomes greedy and predatory. You can’t just go along with this, treating it as acceptable behavior. I’m not responsible for what the outsiders do, but don’t we have some responsibility for those within our community of believers?

This poem was written nearly two months ago. Since then, I've written a few more in this series — and they all have the same general appeal: Christians need to get along with each other. This sentiment is so prevalent and the nuance is so slight that, in this particular section of Rick Warren's book, he sometimes uses the same scriptures in contiguous chapters.

Each of these were written as I stated last week — by reading the relative scripture repeatedly with very little input from me. If you look at some of the verses below, you might notice that some are mirrored nearly word-for-word in my poetry.

Love the title. For much of the time this was being written, it was called simply, A Cord of Three Strands. At the very end, looking at the final product, it was a gratifying change — accord being synonymous with harmony.

The only other thing worthy of note is its rhyming pattern: rhyming the outside (first and fourth) lines, and inside (second and third) lines. I don't know if I'd ever done that before, but I did it again a few poems after this one.

​It is better with two than to be all alone,since your labor combined could produce more success.Should one fall, then the other could aid their distress;make a better defense than could each on their own.

We were chosen to live all together as one,since we all are a part of the body of Christ.For a cord of three strands that are braided and spliced,will not easily break once the pulling's begun.

If we live in the light as God is in the light,we can share with each other in fellowship sweet.Let us practice: confession — forgiveness — repeat;​being patient and gentle and kind and polite.

As your faith will help me, and my faith will help you,I must make the allowance for how you might live.As the Lord has forgiven, so we must forgive;seek the best in each other in all that we do.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (TEV)Two are better than one, because together they can work effectively. If one of them falls down, the other can help him up . . . . Two people can resist an attack that would defeat one person alone. A rope made of three cords is hard to break.

Colossians 3:15 (CEV)​Each one of you is part of the body of Christ, and you were chosen to live together in peace.

1 John 1:7-8 (NCV)If we live in the light, as God is in the light, we can share fellowship with each other . . . . If we say we have no sin, we are fooling ourselves.

James 5:16a (Msg)Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed.

2 Corinthians 2:7 (CEV)When people sin, you should forgive and comfort them, so they won’t give up in despair.

Romans 1:12 (NCV)I want us to help each other with the faith we have. Your faith will help me, and my faith will help you.

Colossians 3:13 (NLT)You must make the allowance for each other’s faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.

​Romans 14:19 (NIV)Make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.

​ TEV: Today's English Version • CEV: Contemporary English Version • NCV: New Century Version • MSG: The Message • GWT: God's Word Translation • NLT: New Living Translation • NIV: New International Version

​While reading the Book of Leviticus and not finding much to write about, I turned my attention back to the series of poems I've been working on concerning the book, The Purpose-Driven Life, written by Rick Warren. Taking the scripture mentioned in each of the forty chapters and turning them into poetry, the next chapter in line for me was chapter/day 17 entitled, A Place to Belong.

This chapter had everything to do with being part of the body of Christ, a subject I've touched on in other poems I written.

When I first began this series in 2004, I looked at the first seven chapters of Warren's book and selected the easiest chapter I could tackle (poetically-speaking), and did the same for the next 7 chapters, and so on. When I was done, I ended up with six poems out of the 40 chapters for the six-week study.

Six years later, I decided to complete the series and wrote another poem in 2010. After another six years of not writing much of anything, I started writing more of these poems beginning in 2016.

All of these poems written through 2018 were thematic for me. Meaning, after reading the scripture associated with a particular chapter, I had an idea and a concept of what I wanted to say. As I wrote, I lightly touched on the relevant scripture.

Beginning with 2020, I can no longer visualize what I want to write. I am wholly dependent on the relative scripture. Without any idea where the poem is going or what it is about, I'll read the scripture for a particular chapter over and over and over and OVER in various translations and just try to bend it any way I can.

​For example, the opening verses for this chapter:

​You are members of God’s very own family, citizens of God’s country, and you belong in God’s household with every other Christian.Ephesians 2:19b (LB)

God’s family is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.1 Timothy 3:15b (GWT)

​After poring over these verses, out comes the following:

​Like us, you are citizens — saints from God's nation;you're members and part of God's household, abroad.​The church is God's family that forms the foundationand pillar of truth of the one living God.

I don't know how long the poem is going to be. Nor do I have any conclusion in mind — no killer line to end it. Many times, I do not have a title until it has been completed (to which this one is an example). I just string verses along (hopefully!) in some coherent fashion and pray for a good outcome. This is all very odd for me. And a little scary.

I blame it on writing much of the Book of Job last year verse-for-verse. After doing that for 40 chapters in Job, I guess I developed that same mindset as a crutch. And, for this series, maybe this is the way the poems should be written. I would think that when the series is completed, there will be a noticeable difference between the first several poems and the rest.

Frankly, I was quite happy and relieved to be able to write this year's Easter poemfreely from my heart.

​​Like us, you are citizens — saints from God's nation;you're members and part of God's household, abroad.​The church is God's family that forms the foundationand pillar of truth of the one living God.

For just as one body whose members are many,so everyone makes up the body of Christ.The value of one is not greater than any,nor pain any less were the least sacrificed.​

Both Gentile and Jew who believe him will share it — God's wonderful riches since both are his heirs.Each part of the body of Christ will inheriteach promise and blessing that's equally theirs.

He makes the whole body fit nicely together;each part does its part for the body to thrive.If one part decided to leave and untether,apart from the body it couldn't survive.

When somebody suffers — a sister or brother,the body's in turmoil and aches as a whole.For God's so connected us one with another,we're truly his body: one heart, mind and soul.

And, likewise, whenever a member's uplifted,we all share the honor — the glory's diffused.We're special and each have uniquely been giftedto help our church family when those gifts are used.

The body's not well when its parts start to wander;when lost in confusion or deserts they roam.Forget all the meetings or viewpoints to ponder,​just go out and find them and bring them back home!

Encourage and love one another while knowingthe closer you are brings you nearer to me.Keep building, supporting, equipping and growing — for this is the way that I want you to be.

Ephesians 2:19b (LB)You are members of God’s very own family, citizens of God’s country, and you belong in God’s household with every other Christian.

1 Timothy 3:15b (GWT)God’s family is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.

1 Corinthians 12:12 (ESV)For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.

Ephesians 3:6 (NLT)And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 4:16 (NLT)He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

Romans 12:4-5 (MSG)Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we’re talking about is Christ’s body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn’t amount to much, would we?

1 Corinthians 12:26 (NCV)If one part of the body suffers, all the other parts suffer with it. Or if one part of our body is honored, all the other parts share its honor.

1 Corinthians 12:7 (NLT)A spiritual gift is given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church.

James 5:19 (MSG)If you know people who have wondered off from God’s truth, don’t write them off. Go after them. Get them back.

Hebrews 3:13 (NIV)Encourage one another daily . . . so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.

1 Peter 2:17b (MSG)Love your spiritual family.

​Ephesians 4:16b (NLT)As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love. ​

​​ LB: Living Bible • GWT: God's Word Translation • ESV: English Standard Version • NLT: New Living Translation • MSG: The Message • NCV: New Century Version • NIV: New International Version

​Some months ago, we sang a song in our church that spoke about following God's cloud — like the Israelites did — and I thought it was interesting since I was in the middle of reading Exodus at the time. I imagined that I could write something similar as well.

I had already come across those verses (discussing the pillar of fire and cloud) earlier in Exodus and thought that the next time I came across a similar passage that I would write about it. Finishing up Exodus without finding those verses, I thought of backtracking to where I had read about it earlier in the book, but decided against it.

After Exodus, chronologically speaking, comes Numbers 7-10 before picking back up with Leviticus. And, in that little sliver of Numbers, I found what I was looking for:

​It remained that way continually; the cloud would cover the tabernacle by day, and at night it would appear like fire. Whenever the cloud was lifted from above the Tent, the Israelites would set out, and wherever the cloud settled, there the Israelites would camp.Numbers 9:16-17

​The initial idea in my head didn't really translate to the page as I had intended, but this is OK as well.

Cloud and Fire

​Lord, lead us by your Holy Spiritwhether moving or perfectly stillso consume us with fireand a burning desireto be centered in your perfect will

Lord, choose to live right here among ushow we want you to live in our heartlike your Father made home​while the Israelites roamedin the Holy of Holies and Ark

like your cloud through the day let us show them the waylike your fire at night let us show them the light

Lord, keep us all in your protectionin your arms, we will not be afraidand supply us our needas we follow your leadand we step in the footprints you've made

It remained that way continually; the cloud would cover the tabernacle by day, and at night it would appear like fire. Whenever the cloud was lifted from above the Tent, the Israelites would set out, and wherever the cloud settled, there the Israelites would camp.Numbers 9:16-17

​The ninth verse of this poem, the one concerning the Ark of the Covenant, was the first thing I wrote since it was the first thing mentioned while reading Exodus 25. After writing a few more stanzas, I started forming the poem as a series of questions and answers — a complete stranger stumbling upon this large structure in the desert and having a child explaining what it was: We serve God Jehovah who told us to build, etc. After that idea stalled, I decided on a self-guided tour of the Tabernacle.

After the first nine verses were completed, with the first thing I wrote literally being the last thing I wrote, I was wondering how to wrap it all up. I had walked through the entire structure, from the entrance to the east — all the way to the Holy of Holies, and was looking for the exit.

It bothered me that I hadn't described all of the contents within the Ark. As I was contemplating those things and thinking that I was left with some really crappy choices for possible rhymes, like the word staff — suddenly the word half came to mind with the idea of the torn veil. Thank you, Lord, for the save!

Tabernacle

​​They served God Jehovah who told them to builda place he could dwell and atone for their sin.He gave them a pattern for space to be ​filledwith objects of worship he wanted within.

They'd enter the courtyard through gates to the east,and come to an altar of bronze-covered wood.The priest laid his hands on their innocent beast,then killed, disemboweled and burned up where they stood.

Behind this horned altar a washbasin stands;from bronze, both the basin and stand have been cast.A place where the priests washed their feet and their handsbefore they could enter God's presence, at last.

A couple steps further, within a small tent:the Holy Place, hidden from everyone's sight.The priests intercede while the people repent;replacing the shewbread and feeding the light.

A gold-covered table was set to the north,its golden utensils and dishes in place;with bread loaves for God that the Levites put forth,called bread of the Presence or bread of the Face.

A solid gold lampstand that brilliantly floodsthe room with its flickering glorious rays.A golden menorah with petals and buds;resplendent, replete with gold snuffers and trays.

An altar for incense, in front of the veildiffusing sweet fragrance Jehovah desires.Both morning and evening the priests, without fail,brought coals from the courtyard's last sacrificed fires.

The Holy of Holies, the innermost room,the high priest could enter but once every year.Since unconfessed sin in his heart would bring doom;he'd enter God's presence with reverent fear.

A chest, or an ark, from acacia was made,with stones of his law God inscribed in its hold.Adorned with the wings of two cherubim splayed,its lid hammered out of solidified gold.

Along with those tablets the ark would containa jar filled with manna and Aaron's bloomed staff.All this was God's Grace until his Lamb was slain,when God tore the veil to his Mercy in half.

​And they are to make a sanctuary for Me, so that I may dwell among them. You must make the tabernacle and design all its furnishings according to the pattern I show you.​Exodus 25:8-9

This isn't the first time that I've come across this passage of scripture. I'm that person who starts reading the Bible from Genesis in January and finds himself floundering in the wilderness a month or so later, bogged down by rules and regulations concerning sacrifice, divorce, murder and skin sores sprouting white hair. So, yeah — I've read Genesis and Exodus many times. And, in the past, whenever I would come to this song that Moses sings and think that maybe I should write about it, I would think, No, it's too hard.

But, after writing those 40 chapters from the Book of Job last year — with God's help — without skipping any because I thought that they might have been too hard, I've gained a new confidence that makes me think that, with God's help, I'll be able to plow through most anything — much like the picture above.

Song of Deliverance

Exodus 15:1-21

Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord:

​I will sing to the LORD, for his triumph's immense;both the rider and horse he's thrown into the sea.Oh, the LORD is my strength, he's my song and defense;for the LORD has become a salvation to me.

He's forever my God that I'll praise and adore;he's the God of my father that I will acclaim.Oh, the LORD is a warrior, a real man of war;I will sing of Jehovah. The LORD is his name.

In the sea has the army of Pharaoh been drowned.In the Red Sea the best of his captains were thrown.With their armor and chariots dragging them down;every one of them sank to the depths like a stone.

LORD, your right hand's majestic in power and might;LORD, your right hand makes all of your enemies doomed.Overthrowing your foes who rise up for a fight;with your fury inflamed, they, like straw, are consumed.

With a blast of your nostrils you breathed on the sea,and the waters rose up in the air in a heap;forming walls made of water where fish used to beas the waters congealed in the heart of the deep.

And the enemy boasted and haughtily said,I will soon overtake and despoil this hoard!I will never let up till the desert bleeds red,but destroy all I can with the blade of my sword!

Then you opened your mouth and you blew with your breath,and the sea covered all of them over with waves.Man and horse sank like lead to a horrible death,now they lay on the bottom in watery graves.

Is there any god like you, LORD? Worthy of praise?Is there anyone like you, LORD, matching your worth?So majestic and holy! Such marvelous ways!By your hand are your foes swallowed up by the earth.

You've redeemed us in mercy and led us to here.In your strength you will guide us to your sacred home.And the nations will hear and will tremble in fear;in Philistia — sorrow and anguish will come.

Now the leaders of Edom are greatly dismayed;and the Moabites tremble for what lies ahead;all the Canaanites melt and are deathly afraid;every one of them feeling the terror and dread.

By your powerful arm, they'll be still as a stone — they'll be quiet until all your people go past;LORD, your people — the ones whom you've bought and atoned — till your once-enslaved people march by them at last.

You will bring in your people, possessing the land,to your mountain, O LORD, where you've made your domain;in the dwelling established by your holy hand.LORD Jehovah, forever and ever will reign.

Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron's sister, took a tambourine and led all the women as they played their tambourines and danced.

And Miriam sang this song:

​​Let us sing to the LORD, who has gloriously​hurled horse and its rider both into the sea.

Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the LORD: I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; he has hurled both horse and rider into the sea.

The LORD is my strength and my song; he has given me victory. This is my God, and I will praise him— my father’s God, and I will exalt him!

The LORD is a man of war; the LORD is his name. [ESV]

Pharaoh's chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea. [KJV]

The deep waters have covered them; they sank to the depths like a stone. [NIV]

​This poem was written a couple of weeks ago and written in such a way that contained some internal rhyming within each line. But, while writing this blog, upon reflection, I discovered that I wasn't happy with some of the forced lines in order to achieve those extra rhymes. So, I rewrote much of it between yesterday and today. The final verse was left alone from the original, leaving those internal rhymes intact.

​I was thinking about Peter having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day on the day before Jesus was crucified. After his friend had died, the only things that Peter was left with were his words and actions of that day.

I can't imagine what he was thinking when he ran and saw the empty tomb. But, it is interesting what the angel told the women at the tomb, regarding Peter:

​Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died.Mark 16:7

​How wonderful it is to have a chance of redemption!

Simon Peter

​Peter, Simon Peter — how was Seder with your friend?I'd heard you promised to protect him to the very end.Then, when he took a servant's role to wash your feet, you said,Lord, do not merely wash my feet, but wash my hands and head!

Peter, Simon Peter — it appears you've been asleep.Did not your friend ask, Watch with me, my soul is crushed with grief?Again, I saw him wake you so that you could watch and pray;with tears of blood he bore his pain alone near where you lay.

Peter, Simon Peter — rise! Get up, and grab your sword!Remember when you said tonight that you'd defend your Lord?Ignore that you're outnumbered — overmatched with clubs and spears.Select a target — one that's weak, and aim between the ears!

Peter, Simon Peter — get yourself away from there!Why, you've denied you ever met your friend — I heard you swear.You lied again and then once more — then saw your friend and froze.Tonight, you will deny me thrice before the rooster crows.

Peter, Simon Peter — I can see you're filled with gloom.I heard you heard the news and ran to find his empty tomb.Now, more confused than ever, with uncertainty you grope;your broken heart since Jesus' death just caught a ray of hope.

Peter, Simon Peter — cast your net into the sea;then bring it up and hold it fast for heavy will it be.No longer will you troll the deep — your friend is on the shore.He beckons, Feed my lambs and sheep, and love me evermore.

This poem was written for Easter last year, in 2019. That was the year I furiously wrote forty poems from the book of Job and this was wedged, somewhat lost and overlooked, somewhere in the middle of all of that writing.

I'd come across an Internet article that brought out some really interesting points surrounding Christ's Triumphal Entry. First of all, it happened on the 10th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan.

Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household . . . . Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the members of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight.Exodus 12:3, 6

The 10th of Nisan floats around on the Jewish calendar. Last year, when I wrote this poem, the 10th of Nisan fell on Wednesday, April 15th. This year, 2020, it was on Saturday (yesterday), April 4th. In the third year of Jesus' ministry, it fell on Sunday — thus, our celebration of Palm Sunday.

Per the above scripture, the Bible mentions the 10th day of Nisan when instituting the laws concerning Passover. The day is also mentioned in Joshua.

The people crossed the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month. Then they camped at Gilgal, just east of Jericho.Joshua 4:19

All of this is brought out in the first half of the poem in order to set up the backdrop of Jesus' entry. If this is new information for you, as it was for me last year, it wasn't news to the Jews. They were well aware of their scriptures and laws and traditions, and of the parallels and imagery of this moment. It wasn't too long before this day that Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead and his fame was yuge! This was it! This was the big one!

Cry out with joy, O daughter of Zion! Shout jubilantly, O daughter of Jerusalem! Look—your King is coming; He is righteous and able to save. He comes seated humbly on a donkey, on a colt, a foal of a donkey.Zechariah 9:9

So, in the second half of the poem I wanted to convey the following information taken from the above-mentioned article:

There are many who differ from this information. They say that Jesus entered Jerusalem through the Eastern Gate, and not the Sheep Gate; that it happened on Saturday or Monday or the entire event even happened in August. For the most part, this poem can accommodate those differences.

For someone thinking this event happened on Monday, then "Monday" could easily be interchanged with "Sunday".

For someone believing this event happened on Saturday, then "Sabbath" could be interchanged with "Sunday" without missing a beat.

For those who say that Jesus entered through the Eastern Gate (also called the Golden Gate, or the Gate of Mercy), then that line could be replaced with: Through the Mercy Gate, Mercy has come.

All joking aside, there may be some merit as to which gate was used. Consider the following:

​Then he led me to the gate, the gate facing east. And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east. And the sound of his coming was like the sound of many waters, and the earth shone with his glory. And the vision I saw was just like the vision that I had seen when he came to destroy the city, and just like the vision that I had seen by the Chebar canal. And I fell on my face. As the glory of the Lord entered the temple by the gate facing east, the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the temple.. Ezekiel 43:1-5

I tweaked some wording from last year to this year. And, in the future, the line concerning the gate may change as well. But, for now, as it was written last year, I like the imagery of the Shepherd entering through the Sheep Gate on his triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Lamb Selection Day.

Lamb Selection Day​

​In the morning that Sunday, he crossed Jordan's River,​to the Jericho-side Jesus came.Years before, crossed the people God sought to deliver,on the tenth day of Nisan, the same.

Forty years before that God was building a nationwith a people awaiting I AM;they were asked to prepare for their coming salvationwith the death of an innocent lamb.

On the tenth day of Nisan, their lamb was selected;without defect or blemish or scar.For the next four days this year-old lamb was inspected,and protected from possible mar.

As the lamb lived among them, was there any grievingwhen this lamb, on the fourteenth, was slain?He'd provide the last meal for its family soon leaving,and its blood on their door posts would stain.

On this tenth day of Nisan — Jerusalem's thriving,over-crowded as you walk the streets.With the lambs born in Bethlehem quickly arriving,​sometimes all you can hear are their bleats.

Here he comes! On a donkey and foal he is seated;through the Sheep Gate the Shepherd has come.Cloaks laid down and with palm branches waving he's greeted:now he'll free them from Rome's heavy thumb.

For another four days he allows their inspection,​cross-examined and grilled to the end.In the garden, arresting this Lamb of perfection,he's betrayed with the kiss of a friend.

From that Sunday when crowds — in their wonder — surround him,till he wrestles alone with the cost;on the tenth day of Nisan the crowds would have crowned him,by the fourteenth they scream for the cross.

​After penning The Plagues of Egypt, and thinking ahead to the next big event in Exodus, I was lying in bed running lines in my head and came up with:

From a land that is fertile to one filled with sand

​So, the following morning, my next poem began with those lines. And I struggled mightily with the direction it should go. And as lines and verses came and went and got moved around, these opening lines fell further from the top until they finally landed into the final stanza.

As I read the passage in Exodus, I was reminded of the things I wrote in my Easter poem of 2019, Lamb Selection Day. Like, how the Israelites were to select their Passover lamb (or goat) on the tenth of the month, slaughter it on the fourteenth, put its blood on their door posts, and eat it in haste wearing their traveling clothes. By then, I was on a roll.

I crammed in there how the grieving Egyptians literally begged them to leave and gave of their gold and clothing to the Israelites and how Joseph wanted his bones carried out of Egypt when they left. After I ran out of my general knowledge on this event, I was left with my "opening lines" and I wasn't sure how to wrap it all up.

I thought of the previous lines I had written concerning how each successive Pharaoh knew less and less of Joseph and was harder on the Hebrews slaves because they were reproducing so rapidly. Then, ​I wondered how long the Israelites had lived in Egypt and found that the Bible clearly stated that is was 430 years. Except, that couldn't be possible since Moses was a great-grandson to Jacob and he had married his own aunt, who was a granddaughter to Jacob. This led me to Google the subject and I read of a controversy I wasn't even aware of — something I've never even considered.